My Ruin
The Horror Of Beauty

December 2003
Released: 2003, Century Media
Rating: 3.8/5
Reviewer: Lord of the Wasteland

Tairrie B. is one pissed-off person. She has a bone to pick with everyone and everything, but her main focus is on her image and the apparent wrong-doings that have been leveled against her. Her lyrics are far from subtle (“misogynistic…chauvinistic…small man, big mouth” on “SpitFire”) and are filled with rage and anger. THE HORROR OF BEAUTY is the band’s first full-length release on Century Media. They have been a staple in the underground of the U.K. for about 5 years but have yet to make a name for themselves on this side of the pond. This release should change all that.



The musicianship behind Tairrie B.’s vocals is impressive. There are some deep, rich bass lines delivered by Meghan Mattox. At times, her fuzz-distorted grooves are reminiscent of Peter Steele of Type O Negative. Drummer Yael packs some serious wallop, as well. Some double-bass work is evident on a few tracks but basically she provides a solid backbeat. Guitarist Mick Murphy was obviously schooled in the rock of the 1970s as his riffs are pure arena rock. The star of My Ruin though is Tairrie B. on vocals. She must have chain-smoked Camels, shot gunned Jack Daniels and gargled Javex to attain the voice she has. Her deep growl is equal parts Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead and Morgan Lander from Kittie. Pretty it ain’t but it suits the lyrics and music perfectly.



The real standout tracks on THE HORROR OF BEAUTY are “Made To Measure”, “Burn The Witch” and “Hot In The House Of God”. “Made To Measure” is catchy as hell and features some pretty telling lyrics about a dust-up she had with a critic from Metal Hammer magazine who called her fat and the ideal image of women in general. The video for the song is included on the CD as well. “Burn The Witch” has a cool, downtuned guitar and fuzzed-out bass line that really grabbed me. “Hot In The House Of God” features a great vocal delivery and a killer intro.



My Ruin is unable to be classified within a specific genre. They are punk. They are metal. They are hardcore. They are rock. In other words, many different influences come out in their music. Parallels have been drawn between My Ruin and Kittie but in all fairness, they were doing this while Kittie was still learning to play their instruments. If rage and vitriol are what you crave, THE HORROR OF BEAUTY will satisfy your hunger.



KILLER KUTS: “Made To Measure,” “Burn The Witch,” “Hot In The House Of God”